Sunday hunting is now legal in Pa.

Gov. Josh Shapiro officially lifted the longtime ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.

At a press conference Wednesday at the Blue Ridge Sportsman Club in Harrisburg, Shapiro called the blue law-era ban “outdated” and said the state’s Game Commission will now have full authority to set hunting seasons “that make sense for today’s sportsman.

“At a time when folks in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are busier than ever before — so many hunters are working five, six days a week — this is a commonsense change that gives hunters more freedom to choose when they want to head into the woods,” Shapiro said Wednesday. “It also opens up more freedom for moms and dads and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpops to introduce younger generations to the tradition of hunting.”

Hunters, despite repeated efforts by advocates for decades, haven’t been able to repeal the Sunday ban. In 2019, the state opened three Sundays for hunting, but license purchases continue to fall: the Pennsylvania Game Commission has seen a 37% decrease in sales since 1980.

Last month, a new bill was sent to Shapiro’s desk that former opponents, including the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, now supported.

“This is an archaic ‘blue law,’ not based in the reality of today. It’s a law that most states have eliminated long ago,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mandy Steele (D., Allegheny), said on the House floor at the time. “Not being able to hunt on Sundays creates major hurdles for busy families.”

The Game Commission, according to a press release Wednesday, will now review options available to add new Sunday opportunities to the established 2025-26 hunting seasons.

“This landmark law effectively will contribute to keeping hunters engaged and performing the valuable public service they provide in helping manage our wildlife populations and ensuring the future of wildlife conservation,” said Steve Smith, executive director of the Game Commission. “Today is a win for wildlife. Today will forever be remembered.”